Frenchman prepares for 25-mile fall

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan -- A 64-year-old Frenchman has arrived in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan to prepare for a 25-mile skydiving jump later this month.

Michel Fournier, a former French army colonel, wants to set four world records on May 25 after a similar attempt failed five years ago, the Regina Leader-Post reported Tuesday.

Fournier has raised $19 million for the mission, which involves traveling for 2 1/2 hours up to an altitude of 40 kilometers, or almost 25 miles, to the edge of the stratosphere in a pressurized capsule.

If all goes well, he will jump wearing a specially designed pressurized suit with oxygen tanks and fall for about 10 minutes before deploying his parachute, the report said.

The launch site is near North Battleford, about 85 miles northwest of Saskatoon.

If he achieves his goal, he will set records for highest altitude free fall, highest altitude human balloon flight, time record for longest free fall and the speed record for the fastest free fall, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.